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How To Make Friends on the Telephone

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the miss-manners dept.

Dan writes "What a wonderful find--it seems since the internet, we've forgotten the correct way to communicate with people. So here is a book to teach us the proper etiquette, as well as how to handle complex modern communications devices."

3 of 327 comments (clear)

  1. Communication communication everywhere... by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    but not a social life to speak of.

    Nice article there - it was to look over the pamphlet and retrospect about how far we've come communication-wise in the past few decades. We can communicate more effectively, work more productively, and get information faster.

    But I cannot say the same for the improvement in social life that technology has brought about. Sure, we have IM now, I can videoconference with my folks back home halfway across the world without paying a penny, but has it really *improved* my social life? I don't think so.

    IMHO, we communicate better with people we need to (at work) and family/friends, but we don't really end up making more friends (I won't go so far as to credit Orkut groups/etc as friends). If anything, we're spending more time in front of our screens sending and accessing messages (communicating) at the cost of social interaction.

    Maybe it's just me, but I have a feeling it's true for a lot of folks especially those around here.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  2. Phone skills are definitely declining... by vudufixit · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Aside from the prevalence of automated attendants, I've noticed that many human operators don't seem to know how to answer with a warm greeting, ask for information, put people on hold correctly, or bridge a call to the right person.
    I've become better at handling phones simply by listening to what these people are doing wrong, and using that as a basis for improving my own phone skills.
    But on the other end as a caller, I've found it helpful to announce myself at the beginning of the call, instead of having them ask me for my name. And also to have as much information ready as possible, and present it before I'm asked, IE account numbers, customer numbers, MAC address of cable modems, etc.

  3. maybe something more relevant... by sevinkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    we know how to use devices, how about teaching us how to communicate in person, and have the other person believe we're not weird without putting up a front.

    maybe that's an oxymoron?